Agency and Community Connections

Adult service agencies, career and technical education, and postsecondary institutions extend what a school can offer a transitioning student. IDEA and Alabama rule define when agencies may be invited to the IEP Team meeting and what happens when a participating agency does not deliver agreed-upon services.

• 34 CFR §300.321(b)(3), agency participation with consent https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.321 

• 34 CFR §300.320(b), transition services including linkages to agencies https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.320 

• 34 CFR §300.324(b), failure of a participating agency to provide services https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.324 

• Alabama Administrative Code, Rule 290-8-9-.05, including agency responsibilities for transition

Consent before invitation.  A representative of any agency likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services may be invited only after the parent (or the student, age 19 and older) gives consent, documented on the Notice and Invitation form. The notice should identify the agencies to be invited.

Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS).  ADRS provides vocational rehabilitation services and, under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) for students with disabilities who are eligible or potentially eligible. The five Pre-ETS categories are job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, counseling on postsecondary education opportunities, workplace readiness training, and instruction in self-advocacy. Refer students early; VR eligibility and planning take time. Confirm current referral procedures and local ADRS contacts before referring.

Career and technical education.  A career/technical education representative must be included as a member of the IEP Team for students who have been referred for or are receiving career/technical education, and students must receive a career/technical assessment prior to or as part of the career/technical placement process.

Postsecondary education.  For students considering college, connect early with disability support or ADA services offices at Alabama Community College System institutions. Colleges operate under different laws (Section 504, ADA) than secondary schools, and the student must self-identify and request accommodations; use this difference to teach self-advocacy before exit.

Documentation.  Use the Linkages to Agencies transition service area in the annual transition goals, list responsible persons and agencies for each transition activity, and keep records of referrals, applications, and agency commitments.

• Obtain documented parent or adult-student consent before inviting agency representatives.

• Make ADRS/Pre-ETS referrals with enough lead time before exit.

• Include a career/technical representative for students in career/technical programs.

• Document referrals and agency commitments in the IEP and the student's file.

• Agency representatives invited without documented consent

• First ADRS referral made in the student's final year

• No record of referral or follow-up when an agency is listed as responsible

• Students and families surprised by the difference between high school and college disability services

Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services  https://rehab.alabama.gov/   vocational rehabilitation and Pre-ETS;  Alabama Community College System  https://www.accs.edu/;  Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities  https://www.acdd.org/;  Alabama Parent Education Center https://alabamaparentcenter.com/.  Verify contact and referral information before publication.